Waen-oer Ridge 9 mile / 14 km Hard Mountain Walk

Distance: 9 miles / 14 km Finish: Bwlch Llyn Bach pass (Tal-y-llyn pass) car Time: Around 6 hours park on the A487 (Grid Reference: SH 753 135) Grade: Hard Mountain Walk Terrain: Woodland paths, rough and wet mountain Start: car park terrain. Wear appropriate waterproof footwear. (Grid Reference: SH 859 149) Map: OS Explorer OL23 ( & Llyn Tegid)

Note: This map is intended as a rough guide only. You should use the most recent version of the relevant map (OL 23) when How to get there? walking this route. From the A470 turn off at the top Good navigational skills are essential end of Dinas Mawddwy, and park in for this walk. © Crown copyright. All rights reserved. 100022403, 2012 the main car park.

About this walk The Waun-oer Ridge Walk climbs from the village of Dinas Mawddwy over the bare mountains of Maesglase, Craig Portas, Cribin Fawr and Waun-oer and then down the slopes of Mynydd Ceiswyn to Bwlch Llyn Bach pass, Tal-y-llyn. This is the area of the Red Bandits of Mawddwy (Gwylliaid Cochion Mawddwy in Welsh), the C16 robbers known to rob those travelling through Bwlch Oerddrws pass at the upper part of Cwm Cerist. The placenames on Bwlch Oerddrws, for example Llety’r Lladron (robbers lodging) and Llety’r Gwylliaid (bandits lodging), reminds us of this troubled time in the area of Mawddwy. The walk takes you to Maesglasau valley where the poet and hymnist Hugh Jones, Maesglasau (1749-1825) was brought up. According to O.M. Edwards, Hugh Jones’ hymn ‘O! tyn y gorchudd yn y mynydd hwn’ (‘Oh remove the cover in this mountain’) is considered the best hymn in the Welsh language. It was from this hymn that Angharad Price’s award winning novel’s title, O! Tyn y Gorchudd, came from. This jewel of a novel is the imaginary autobiography of Rebecca Jones who lived at Tynybraich, Maesglasau and was the sister of the author’s grandfather. At the other side of the Waun-oer ridge is Bwlch Llyn Bach pass (small lake pass). There used to be a lake at the top of the pass before the Waen-oer Summit A487 road was built through it. It was near this lake that criminals were thrown from the top of a rock called Llam y Lladron (robbers’ leap) to their deaths! www.-npa.gov.uk Snowdonia National Park Authority, National Park Office, Penrhyndeudraeth, Gwynedd LL48 6LF Telephone: 01766 770274 Waen-oer Ridge 9 mile / 14 km Hard Mountain Walk

Walk out of the car park, turn right and walk along Soon you will reach a lay-by, and at the end of Ascend the steep zig-zag stepped footpath up through the road uphill. When you reach the A470 main road, it follow the signposted footpath on your left that the woods until you reach a step-over stile. Cross the cross the road carefully and turn right walking along leads uphill through the woods of Coed Foeldinas stile and make your way across the boardwalk. Follow the grass verge of the A470. until you reach a forestry track. Upon reaching the the footpath along the fence and under the overhanging track, turn right and walk for approximately 130m trees. Keep following the waymarkers as the path steadily before turning off the track to the left along the climbs round the slopes of Foel Dinas. Enjoy the lovely signposted footpath. views of Cwm Cerist on your right and Maesglasau valley appearing in front of you as you walk round the hill.

Follow the footpath to the far end of the valley, crossing a stile before reaching Bwlch Siglen. Continue along the fence line, following the footpath as it ascends steeply uphill, keeping the As you reach the fence at the upper end of the forest on your left. DO NOT cross the step-over forest turn right following the fence line uphill Descend along the footpath, keeping the fence line stile into the forest along the Right of Way. towards Cae Afon. After walking uphill for around 1 on your left before walking uphill to the summit of a mile, cross a step-over stile on your left and head in hill which stands at 587 feet before ascending again the direction of Cader Idris. to the summit of Craig Portas.

Descend Craig Portas to the pass and then climb the slopes of Cribin Fawr in front of you keeping the fence and the forestry on your left. Keep Now follow the path downhill keeping the fence Carry on along the footpath keeping the fence on following the fence line until you reach two stiles. on your right and the forest on your left descending your right and walk along the long ridge towards Cross the ladder stile on your left. until you reach another stile. Cross the stile and climb Mynydd Ceiswyn. through the trees towards the summit of Waun-oer. You will see the summit cairn on your right.

In approximately 1.5 miles you will reach a ladder As you reach the A487 main road, rather than stile on your right. Cross the stile and follow the crossing the stile, follow the permissive footpath way marked Right of Way downhill. Aim towards Cross the road and head through a gate, turn left that goes along side the main road keeping the fence the stone wall at the bottom right corner of the and walk along the tarmac road. Then turn right to on your right. You will be passing Llam y Lladron field and look out for a gap in the fence to cross follow the footpath downhill alongside the stone (robbers’ leap) on your left. Cross the stile at the the tarmac road. wall towards Bwlch Llyn Bach pass. end of the permissive path and carefully cross the road into the Bwlch Llyn Bach pass car park.

www.snowdonia-npa.gov.uk Snowdonia National Park Authority, National Park Office, Penrhyndeudraeth, Gwynedd LL48 6LF Telephone: 01766 770274